If you’re a new parent, chances are you’re concerned about your child’s skin. You probably know you should make the skin care routine for the new member of your family, but you don’t know how or you don’t know what needs to be done? Well, you’re not the only one. Actually, you might be one of a great majority of parents who either don’t care enough about their baby’s skin or who are doing something wrong.A child’s skin is extremely sensitive and all sorts of rashes and hypersensitivities may occur if proper skin care routine is not followed. With so many products out there, it very easy to be overwhelmed when trying the find the best ones. That’s why we’ve prepared the following tips for all new parents concerned about their baby’s skin.Does it have to be organic?In a nutshell, it should be. Though you may have trouble finding such products where you live or you might find them too expensive, you should definitely try to use only organic products when it comes to baby skin care. Remember that your baby’s skin is much thinner than yours and if you avoid certain products because your skin doesn’t agree with them, imagine what could happen to the skin of a baby!Clean it regularlyA newborn baby’s skin is particularly sensitive in the first couple of weeks after birth, because it is covered with a white wax-like substance, vernix, which gradually peels off. This is a normal and natural process that shouldn’t be accelerated by rubbing the skin or applying lotions. It’s enough to wipe the baby’s body carefully near the mouth and diaper area and use organic products if possible.Don’t go crazy with bathingMany parents believe they should bathe their babies as often as possible. This is not recommended, since the child’s skin contains natural oils, which prevent dryness and chipping. Bathing a baby every other day is enough. However, make sure you use quality organic products and lukewarm water. Also, the room in which you bring the baby after bathing is not cold and that all air-conditioners and fans are switched off to protect the baby from the chill. Use only cotton towels to pat the child dry.Why natural and organic products?As we’ve already established, babies have very gentle and sensitive skin, which needs time to get acclimated with the new environment. A large number of modern products for babies don’t contain chemicals and are much safer than perfumed or antibacterial items, which you should definitely avoid. You have to treat your baby’s skin and hair and you don’t know how they would react to some untested products. Natural organic baby skincare products are much safer and less likely to cause any kind of irritation or discomfort, which is why they should be your preferred choice.Nappy rashThis is a common occurrence, especially if you don’t change the diaper soon enough after your baby has dirtied it. It can also be a consequence of the diaper being too small, too tight or your baby might react to the particular brand of diapers. Such problems are much less likely to happen if you have organic products, which don’t contain any elements that could be harmful to the baby.MassagesWho doesn’t love a good massage? It’s a great way of relaxing and if you give your baby a massage, the two of you bond in the most incredible way. Rub the baby’s skin tenderly with essential oils to keep the skin moisturised and always use natural products, such as coconut oil, olive oil or almond oil instead of commercial oils that contain chemicals and perfumes.Only mild detergentsYour baby should wear clean and washed clothes and the bedding should always be clean, too. Again, use a product that doesn’t contain perfumes. Don’t forget that even new garments and bedding should be washed before using them and try to wash those items separately from the family’s clothing.Protecting your baby’s skin is very important and you need to know exactly what kind of routine should be introduced. A lot depends on the products that you use, too. That’s why you should always choose the best products available, but which are specifically designed for babies. Natural and organic products guarantee you won’t have problems commonly caused by traditional commercial products, which might contain chemicals that are not suitable for infants.See More

Most of us take our hearts for granted until something goes wrong, but in fact, it’s an amazing organ. Understanding a little bit more about how it works may help you realize just how remarkable it is, and how vital it is to take care of your heart.Your Heart Is Much More Than Just a PumpThe easiest way to think of a heart is being like a pump, but it’s so much more than this as it is a collection of millions of different cells or working to deliver blood to organs right throughout your body. Without this blood, your organs would quickly die as the blood contains oxygen and other essential nutrients that are necessary to keep every cell within your body functioning properly.Your Heart Will Beat 2.5 Billion Times During Your LifetimeThe average person’s heart will beat around 60 to 70 times a minute which equates to more than 100,000 beats each day. Over the course of an average lifetime, your heart will beat 2.5 billion times, so it’s an incredibly hard-working organ that is pre-programmed to operate automatically every single second of every single day, for as long as you live. It doesn’t matter if you are resting or active, your heart doesn’t get the chance to take any time off.Your heart is placed almost in the center of your chest and it contains four separate areas, each of which are called chambers. Your heart has two smaller upper chambers that are the right atrium and left atrium. The two lower areas or chambers are slightly larger and these are the right ventricle and the left ventricle. Blood from your body enters into your right atrium and is pumped to your right ventricle and from there it travels through your pulmonary artery into the lungs. At this point, the blood becomes enriched with oxygen while carbon dioxide is removed. During the next stage, your oxygenated blood will travel to your left atrium by going through your pulmonary veins. From there it will go into your left ventricle which is the main pump within your heart. This is a powerful muscle that is able to pump the blood out to all the organs in your body through the aorta. It is largely regarded as being the most important part of the heart, particularly from a cardiologist’s point of view as it is the area most likely to be affected if you happen to suffer a heart attack.When the blood enters into your aorta it’s directed towards the coronary arteries. All of these different arteries have branches of their own which are also known as being coronary arteries. It’s their job to supply your heart with oxygen and blood. In a healthy heart, this blood flow isn’t interrupted, but if something obstructs this flow of blood for more than 20 minutes, there’s a good chance that your heart will receive insufficient oxygen. What Happens During a Heart Attack?As a result, the muscle in your heart being fueled by that particular artery will begin to die, which is what happens if you are unlucky enough to have a heart attack. If the damage to your heart continues to spread then heart failure can occur, at which point your heart will be unable to pump blood to all of your organs. Another side effect of heart failure is that blood tends to collect in the lungs because it is no longer being pumped efficiently round the body. This results in them feeling heavier so it becomes more difficult to breathe.Unfortunately, many people will have a heart attack here in the United States as it’s one of the top two killers, right up there with stroke. This is why one of the best Manhattan cardiologists, Dr. Steven Reisman works tirelessly with his patients to try to prevent heart disease and stroke. He is only too well aware that many people can prevent or even reverse heart disease by taking modern medications and by making lifestyle modifications. What to Do If You Have a Family History of Heart DiseaseIf you have a family history of heart disease or heart attacks, then it could be worth scheduling a consultation with a cardiologist to assess your risk through cardiac screening. Your heart is an amazing muscle and even if you have significant risk factors there is still a lot you can do to improve its health and to help strengthen it. The cardiologist can advise you on the best and most effective tips and techniques for reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke.See More

My son has asked for - and received - some new responsibilities this year. All of the items are activities he is definitely capable of, and he seems to like doing them. I like watching him mow the lawn or help with more chores or make decisions about his after school activities. But - what I really wonder - is why I didn't encourage him to try these responsibilities out sooner. I wouldn't say that I am a pushover parent, but I am definitely the one who still sees my son as more kid than young man. Is that a Mom thing? I find myself having to repeat his age to myself (he really is nine) and remember that while he could still revert back to childish behaviors, we should be having more conversations and less yelling. It pains me, but I have to actively remember that he is growing up. And that means re-evaluating his milestones. Not all milestones are the same for his age range, but I need to at least take the time to ensure that I am helping my son grow up. I do, after all, want him to be a successful adult one day. As I keep reading articles about how teens and twentysomethings seem to be taking longer to make the split from their parents, I know that we parents are the ones to blame. While I do not want to encourage the riskier teen behaviors in my son, I do want to make sure he knows that its OK to forge his own path away from Mom and Dad. It is, in other words, OK to grow up. Even if I don't always like it. Are you actively helping your child grow up? Talk about it in the comments.See More